Memories in the Rain
by Shinigami XOXO
Summary: Cheated on. Beaten down. Lied to. When everything and everyone you've ever known is gone, what do you do?
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** Hi, people. This is my first fanfic; it came to me during a class, where one of my teachers was going on and on about how drinking makes a person drowsy and relaxed. Well, this fanfiction isn't about drinking; it's just something like, like, the effects of it. Yeah. And exactly what is it? Well, if I tell you that, then I will ruin it for you. Read to find out!

**DISCLIAMER:** I do not own Ouran. I wish I did….But Ouran belongs to Bisco Hatori, so all hail, Bisco Hatori sama!

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* * *

**Memories in the Rain (Prologue)** _

* * *

"Kyouya-senpai?" Haruhi asked the figure in the thick fog. The figure had hair as dark and sleek as a raven's wing. As he turned around, she saw that it was definitely Kyouya, with his deep, grey eyes, rimless spectacles, and almost emotionless face. But the way he held himself portrayed great sadness. 

_It seemed as if he was trying to conceal it his sorrow as best as he can, but failed._ Nevertheless, failure is such a strong word, she thought. _To strangers, and even to his father, who was always dissatisfied, he would appear to be very apathetic, very bland. Yet Haruhi could sense it, the heavy gloom in the way his lips arranged themselves, the way he pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose. Such minor details that nobody seemed to pay attention to…_

_"Senpai," Haruhi said more gently, her voice soothing. She felt the desire to hold him, as if that would pass at the very least some of his incredibly heavy burden onto her. It pained her to watch him suffer like this; the grave pain killing him very slowly and yet noticeably. She smiled warmly at him with her lukewarm, brown eyes, then with the rest of her. Slowly, yet not hesitantly, she held her hand out to him._

_Kyouya seemed surprised for a nanosecond, then smile—such a wonderful and rare thing to see him do—and held out a hand of his own to touch her welcoming ones. Haruhi knew that very few people in this 17 years had even tried doing this—holding their hands out to him in his times of need._

_But before their hands could meet, an invisible barrier came between them. Haruhi's palm touched the barrier; it was so cold, so indifferent to all the sorrow in the world. Kyouya looked as if he had expected this all along…that made Haruhi wonder about all that this raven-haired boy had seen, had been through._

_Suddenly, he began to fade away…it was as if the mist was swallowing him up. And yet, he was still smiling, except that now, his smile was saddening…_

_Panic overwhelmed Haruhi. She didn't know what to do, but she did know that she didn't want to lose that precious smile. She didn't want it wiped off his face, or fading into obscurity. She felt her craving to grab a hold of him before he was gone forever; but she was helpless behind that transparent wall of ice._

_She cursed the wall._ Damn it! _She thought. Then yelled as the last traces of him vanished…"KYOUYA!!!!!!!!"_

* * *

She woke up with a start. Haruhi felt her hand in the darkness that obscured it from her sight, reach out only to be greeted with open air. 

Haruhi was in her room, in the apartment she grew up in, and on her bedroll on the polished floor.

_What was all that about?_ She thought.

Sure, when she was in high school, in her teenage years, she might have been interested in Kyouya, attracted to him by his mysterious aura and attitude of stopping at nothing to get what he wants. She had wanted for her to be the one that he'd open himself to; he had built so many layers of his barrier, she knew that it would take an eternity to try to break them. But eventually, she knew that he'd open himself to one person, one that he loves. At some point, she grew a desire to be the one he would smile genuinely to.

But old longings die away, right? RIGHT? She no longer wanted all that, RIGHT? She only wanted him as a friend now, RIGHT?

Because her life now, was Tamaki. Haruhi was sure that he was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, the one who would love her as much as she loved him.

As hard as she tried, she couldn't fall asleep after waking up from that puzzling dream. She tried not to, but still, she thought about the possibility that it was a message her subconscious mind was trying to send her. No, she shook her head, it cannot be. She can't POSSIBLY have feelings for the Shadow King, can she? No, not possible. Because the one she cared for was Tamaki.

The thought of her lover clamed her down. His blonde hair, amethyst eyes. He was the 27-year old named successor to the Suoh empire. In fact, all of the former host club members of Ouran had either inherited their family businesses or had their own equally thriving one.

Kyouya had inherited his family's business in the medical field and had also started one of his own, that produced widely famed law firms in Japan. He was now a very busy man, always buried in his work. But he was still single—also one of the most sought after bachelors in Japan.

The twins started their own fashion line—**Hitachiins & Co**—and also their own talk show. They were still very attached to one another. The Hitachiins' designs were widely popular and they were the top designers in Japan.

Hunny and Mori were two of the most respected artists in the martial world. They were as wealthy and happy as ever.

Haruhi was one of the most esteemed young lawyers in all of Japan. She owned a few law firms of her own and was practically battling with Kyouya in the business field. Nevertheless, he still had most of his attention on his medical businesses, and they were still good friends outside of work. It must seem weird to outsiders, she knew, that they could associate in such friendly terms when they are in battle to secure a place in the chart of top law firms in Japan.

Still, she lived in her old apartment with her ever so enthusiastic father. Haruhi found the old apartment comforting, especially when she was thinking her cases out.

_Time had gone by so fast,_ she thought. Haruhi thought about how much the host club and she have changed from their high school days.

Thinking of Tamaki, she frowned. He had been away for more than three weeks now, the second longest amount of time they'd spent away from each other, coming only after the time when she was at law school, and him in a formal dinner party and business conference in the USA.

The trip to France should have taken at the most a week. Haruhi sighed._ I just hope he's alright,_ she thought.

After lying awake for 20 minutes, she got up and changed into casual jeans and T-shirt. Throwing on a light jacket, she ran out the door for an early morning jog at 4:00 a.m.

Memories swirled in her head at every possible sight. The sun had just begun to rise; even so, it was chilly in the fall weather. She passed a large park with huge trees of colorful leaves—a reminder of the day Tamaki said he loved her, his eyes so sincere, and asking her for the last dance before the host club's party celebrating their graduation ended.

How long it has been since then…and yet she felt as if it was just yesterday. _So this is what love does to you,_ Haruhi thought.

She passed the road where she'd held out her hand to Tamaki in high school as he was about to depart for France. She relived the moment, feeling Tamaki's warmth where he held her waist.

Suddenly, the world seemed livelier, brighter. The leaves seemed more colorful, the small streak of sunlight warmer.

As she neared the corner of the street, the lights changed and she stopped.

A limousine stopped to the light as well, and was right outside the sidewalk. Because the windows were tinted, she couldn't really see anything, but as the light changed yet again, the windows rolled down…

She could see everything; not exactly what she wanted to see, but she saw it. Something that made her stop in her tracks as she was about to continue her jog. Something that froze the blood in her vessels. Something that shut down her senses, making her oblivious to the exhaust of the limo as it drove off.

Haruhi felt numb and couldn't control herself. She was trembling furiously…

The sight that had welcomed this brilliant young lawyer…sent her down to her knees. She felt a stab to her heart as Tamaki disappeared from her sight with—

* * *

Guys, I know this is not really a nice cliff hanger but it is 1:30 a.m. right now. I have to go to school later at 7:00 a.m. I'll probably have like 5 hours of sleep. 

PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS! Consider it a birthday present since my birthday is coming up tomorrow—14th. And I'll be updating soon…have…to…go…to…sleep…now…sayonara, mina. Ohyashimi (think I spelled that wrong—readers, please tell me how to spell that right).

PS—Please leave some info about Tamaki's family, Haruhi's, Kyouya's, and the Twins', ppl. I might need that for future chapters—no I DO need it for future chapters….Arigato.


	2. Denial

**Note: **Konichiwa, again. I'm sorry for updating so late. Gomen, mina. I've had so much to do during the past week. Science critiques, history projects, art sketches, preparation for the school academy trip to Boston….must I go on? Tuesday, I'd have to help my Science teacher for PTC to get community service, and I have a music video to finish before Friday. I finally found the right Bleach episodes!!

* * *

Haruhi walked aimlessly without a destination around the quiet streets on this particular Friday morning. Her brown eyes were dull as they faced the ground, staring at nothingness. She was clutching the sides of her light, black jacket, shivering feverishly.

Maybe it was just her, but maybe the sun had crept back into its shadows, leaving the world, making it so gray, so bitter. The sweetness of the streak of sunshine that she was basking in just a minute earlier had diminished, along with her energetic spirit that had just flared…

She had seen something she shouldn't have seen. Or maybe she hadn't seen anything. _Yes! That had to be it!_ She was under so much stress from work and from not seeing her lover in weeks that she was now hallucinating. That was the only explanation applicable and the only explanation she would accept for what she saw.

If so, then why did she fall to her knees on the sidewalk while the limousine drove away, tinted windows down, toward the mansion she only knew so well? The mansion that sat at the top of the low hill where she spent so many nights? Why did she kneel there, trembling as if she was in the North Pole? Why did she feel the pricking at the back of her eyes that threatened those treacherous water drops of emotion? Why was she unresponsive even as the long limo drove off, applying car exhaust on her flawless skin? Then why? Why did she have all those sensations attacking her at once? _**Why? WHY???????**_

_Stop._ Haruhi's mind directed. _Don't think. Calm down, and then sensibly and carefully analyze the situation. That is how a problem is solved_, her composed side said.

_Shut up!_ the emotional part of her screams. _All you ever do and want to do is sit around and observe the situation. Do you do any work? NO! Never! So what right do you have to start barking orders? Huh? Huh?_

_Relax._

_Guess what? I can't! So what?_

_Take a deep breath and—_

_I don't need you. We don't need you! So you just—_

"SILENCE!" Haruhi shouted at the two voices, and at the same time, covering her ears. The few people that were on the streets looked at her, then quickly walked away. She was squeezing her eyes shut now, running at top speeding, not caring. Not caring where she went, not caring where she ended up, not caring what happened to her. The chaos within her was not making matter better.

She ran, and ran. Not fearing the fact that she had no destination, no objective, and no aim whatsoever. She was oblivious to the honking of cars as she crossed red lights and the shouts of other as she bumped into them.

Now, some people were on the streets, beginning their day.

How long has it been since she left the house? _I can't keep tract of time anymore. I don't know myself anymore. I'm so confused. Someone, help me…_

Haruhi's legs were even faster now. She opened her eyes and found herself at the park she passed by earlier—the park where Tamaki had confessed to her. She slowed down. Now, thinking about it, she recalled the glint of emotion—was it sadness?—in Kyouya's eyes. She'd danced with him for 10 minutes. It seemed so magical back then…now, she didn't know what to think, what to feel anymore.

She stopped at the park's entrance. Haruhi relived the moment, walking into the park as if walking into the graduation party. That calmed her, if only a bit.

She smiled, dancing slowly into the park's center in the arms of an imaginary partner. Surrounded by large, colorful trees, she felt so small, yet so at ease. The trickling of the streams' water into creeks was music to her ears. Leaves fell, one red one onto her shoulder. She took a deep breath, smelling the leaves that danced around her in the chilly air.

_If only the moment could last forever_—it was so tranquil. _I wish it would stay like this for eternity. Stay like this, undisturbed, yet in a way, full of life._

Haruhi felt arms slip into hers in the air, dancing along with her, by the music of life around her. She turned around to see—

* * *

None other than Kaoru Hitachiin. Kaoru Hitachiin, the more calm and sensible twin. Kaoru Hitachiin, the one who wanted, even as a child, to follow in this mother's footsteps and become a famed designer. Kaoru Hitachiin, one of the successors to the Hitachiin family fortune, and president of Hitachiins & Co.

"What's wrong?" he whispered into her ear. He was wearing a button down shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His fiery hair was gelled up, and face frowning in concern.

"Kaoru!" Haruhi said in surprise. They reached the heart of the extensive park, and slowly parted. "Uh. Um. N-no-nothing is wrong," she managed. "Why do you ask?' She prayed that he didn't notice the nervousness in her voice.

Unfortunately, he did. "Because you were dancing with the air when I came here. And if you didn't notice, it's 5:30 a.m. in the morning." He smiled gently at her now, guided her to a white bench right by one of the streams and gestured for her to sit down.

Haruhi took a seat. And folded her hands together.

Silence.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way to check up on some of our...products...in our fall fashion line, then to Kyouya's house, to talk about our business deal."

Silence.

"Well, I'll give you a moment to yourself. I'm gonna go buy some espresso. You up for some?"

Smiling up at him, she replied, "That'd be great, thanks."

He left her there to collect her thoughts. _Kaoru saw right through me. Am I that transparent? I can't even lie._ She sighed.

But the real problem was whether or not to tell him what happened. She wasn't so sure of it herself. _Did it really happen?_

Kaoru was back in a flash, two cups of espresso in his hands. He approached her, handed her one and then sat back down.

"Arigato gozaimasu." But instead of drinking, she held onto it for warmth, and stared into it. A minute passed before the observing Kaoru spoke. "What's wrong?"

Look at him, Haruhi saw that his eyes were kind. He really was a different person without his hot-tempered brother. _Maybe, just maybe I can really trust him._

Taking a deep breath, she then sighed. "This is really…ironic I guess. I don't know any other way to put this. My mind is in…chaos right now. So I can't explain—"

She felt his hands on hers. "Just try. I'm all ears. Look—I might not look like it, but I'm told I can be a good listener. Whatever might not make sense I'll try to figure out. In the meantime, just let it all out. It's not healthy to keep it all inside."

Haruhi frowned. "Now you sound just like otoo-san."

Kaoru chuckled. "Alright, alright. Go on."

She tightened her grip on his hand before continuing. "I suddenly woke up this morning, at 4:00 a.m. and couldn't fall asleep. So I came out here to have a light jog before going back home. Then, suddenly—" Kaoru squeezed her hands. "Suddenly, I came to a stop. And this limo was right beside me, outside the sidewalk. The windows were tinted, so I couldn't see anything at first. Then, as the light changed, the windows rolled down. And I saw—I saw—I saw—"

She choked on a sob, trying to hold it back.

"What did you see?"

Haruhi shook her head. "It can't be true though. It would never happen, right? I must have been stressed out, with him away for so long. I'm just hallucinating due to continuous strain. Nothing else. Simply—"

Patting her on the back gently, Kaoru said, "Tell me what you saw, Haruhi. Let me carry some of your pain."

She shook her head in denial. "No. IT CAN'T BE!"

"What can't be?"

Haruhi squeezed her eyes shut. "IT WAS TAMAKI KISSING FUYUMI!" Tears rolled down her cheeks. "It was Tamaki kissing Fuyumi. It was him, I saw it with my own two eyes…"

Kaoru looked as if he didn't know what to do. "Haruhi—" He seemed pretty surprised himself. He drew Haruhi closer to him, feeling her tears through his shirt. She'd already dropped her espresso to the floor and it spilled everywhere. She hugged him tightly.

"He was supposed to be on a business trip in FRANCE!!!!!!!!!Why did it have to be Fuyumi? Is there something wrong with me? Was I just another fling for him?"

Kaoru rested his chin on top of her head. "Tono. Fuyumi-san." He finally came to his senses. "You know you weren't just another fling. You were someone special to him." He winced at his own choice of words.

"That's right," she whispered. "I _was_ someone to him. And now, I'm not anymore. Fuyumi-san is."

"I didn't mean for it to come out that way."

"But it's true. It's too true…" she cried into his shirt again.

_Tono, what have you done? What have you done to Haruhi? You better have a first-rate explanation for this mess you've caused. _Kaoru looked up at the sky, as if praying for Haruhi and the rest of the host club. _Soon, the media will hear about this, one way or another._ _Soon. And matters will get complicated._ He prayed for strength. Strength for the Host Club to be able to get through this alive.

**

* * *

A/N:** So I had to work into the night again. It's now 11:30 p.m. I know this is looking like a KaoruxHaruhi fanfic. And I'll work on that. I'm making a scandal here, ppl. (muwh hahaha!) Fuyumi and Tamaki. This should be interesting. I really don't know what I was thinking. At first, I thought, hey, let Éclair be that bad guy here! But that would've been too expected. Renge? (no comment). Okay, my point is, this is a SCANDAL!!!!!!! OK, I'm maybe a bit obsessed with this stuff, but…. 

**IMPORTANT:** For all Hikaru fans out there, I really did not mean to offend him when I refered to him as the hot-tempered twin. I love Hikaru too. So -dodges rotten veggies- gomenasai...

Anyway, I'll probably be updating on Thursday. Or maybe if I'm in a good mood I'll update sooner.

I'M GETTING A 400 GB HARD DRIVE!! (I know this has nothing to do with the story, but I had to put it there)


	3. Lies

**

* * *

**

Author's Note:

I'm really sorry for updating so late. I know I promised to update on Thursday but my internet thought otherwise. Yeah. So I couldn't get on the internet for a while and I had to make the music video for Alex, which took WAY longer than I expected it to. And he still hasn't seen the music video yet :(

Anyway, enjoy (I made this longer than usual XD)

* * *

Kaoru stepped into the quiet, vacant office. Nobody was there yet, except him. He sighed, and then sank into his leather seat. It was on calm, soothing mornings like this that he created his most original and glamorous designs.

He was trying to concentrate, trying to think about the company's new fall fashion line, but Haruhi's words taunted him. No matter how hard he tried, no matter what he tried, he just couldn't forget his conversation with her. After 3 cups of espresso and 2 pads of professional sketching paper, he pushed his way away from the mahogany desk, throwing his pencil into the air and stretching out his arms. There was no way he could think clearly if he blocked the free flow of his thoughts to try to lead them in another direction.

Kaoru gave in, and almost immediately, the graceful brunette's voice echoed in his ears and her sad image flowed in front of him. Her cheerless, dark-chocolate eyes and wild, morning hair she paid no attention to. Now that he listened to her carefully, he sensed the sorrow, the regret in her voice. But the words she said were the cause of the pain in his chest.

* * *

"_There's a solution to every problem, and I'm sure we can figure out a way to get things back to normal. Everything will be alright." Even as he said those words, he knew that things would never be back to the way thing were. Not with what just happened. Not with how much it had wounded Haruhi._

_She cried harder, as if knowing all this. As if knowing that Tamaki would never love her and she would never love him as they used to._

_But it was her request that baffled Kaoru. And the reason why she made that request._

"_Kaoru?" she looked up at him with innocent eyes._

_He smiled down. "Nani, hime?"_

"_Please, don't tell anyone about this. I want to tell them in my own way. I'll work out a plan. Then when the right time comes I'll tell them myself. And besides," she looked away, "it's easier for Tamaki this way. For both of us. Even knowing what he did, I still love him. I can't help that. Maybe in time I'll forget about him. But for now, I want him to be happy. Even if the one to make him happy is Fuyumi and not me." She looked up to meet his ember eyes. And then gave a small, somber smile. "Please?"_

_Kaoru shook his head. "Even when you're hurt, you worry about others before yourself. It's ironic with normal people like me, that the one you are concerned for is the one who pains you. But with you, anything is possible." He looked down at her pleading eyes and couldn't help but smile in return._

"_But if that's what you really want."_

_"It is. Arigato, Kaoru."_

"_I won't tell the others on one condition."_

"_Anything."_

_He smirked. "Aren't you going to find out first?"_

"_I'd do anything."_

"_You care for him that much even after he cheated on you?"_

"_Unfortunately, I do. But I can't help but feel the way I do."_

"_Incredible." Sighing, he put two fingers under her chin and lifted her face toward his, then leaned in. His ember eyes aligned with hers, he said, "Don't ever hesitate to come to me for help. Or the rest of us in fact. We are all here for you. So let us help you through in times like these. Don't ever feel that you have to handle all your problems by yourself. We are here for you. That's what friends are for."_

_She hugged him once more, and he embraced her back. "Wakata, onii-san."_

* * *

So that was what he was to her. A brother. But she had no idea how important she was to him, no idea how it ached to see her suffer. She was so much more to him…

So naturally, her news unsettled him. But what came after enraged him to the point where he needed to hold himself back, to not even think of Tamaki for fear of committing murder. Kaoru was normally a cool-headed guy, so what exactly had unnerved him so much?

* * *

"_Kaoru," Haruhi said, eyes uncertain. "I don't know how to say this in the right way, but—"_

* * *

"Kaoru?" Hikaru's voice interrupted his train of thought. "What's wrong?" He was at Kaoru's elbow. _When had he entered the room? How could I not notice?_

"N-na-nani? W-w-what are you talking about? I'm fine." He stumbled in surprise. "Nothing's wrong, Hikaru. I'm just working on a new design—" Kaoru reached out for paper but all had fell to the floor where he had unconsciously knocked over them, in a fit of temper.

"I was just thinking about designs and I got so frustrated, so— "

"I want the truth, Kaoru."

_Silence._

"Gomen, Hikaru." Kaoru stood up and walked quickly outside the room, leaving Hikaru in his suspicions.

"Something is definitely up…"

* * *

"Tadaima." Haruhi came into the apartment, face down.

Ranka, who was cooking breakfast, sang, "Welcome home, Haruuu-hhi! Where'd you—" He stopped when he saw his daughter, with her red eyes and forced smile. Right away, he could tell she'd been crying.

"I was just out for a jog." She tried to sound cheerful, but her emotions took over and tears rolled down her cheeks. Haruhi rubbed her eyes. "Something in my eye," she said, voice shaking. "I'll live."

Immediately, Ranka turned off the stove and set down the frying pan, and enveloped her in an embrace. "What's the matter, Haruhi?"

"Nothing, just my allergies. I'm fine, otou-san. Don't worry about me. I'm—"

"Silly girl. How can you lie like that and not expect otou-san to notice? Come and tell otou-san, what is bothering you? Is it that French boy?"

"Tamaki? Why would I be bothered? He's on a business trip to France," she lied.

"I know that face. You're lying. Haruhi, whenever you lie, you force out that smile of yours. Otou-san knows you well. Now tell me the truth."

"It's really nothing. I'm just overreacting. You'll think it's silly."

"I'll decide if it's silly after I listen to your story."

_Silence._

"Otou-san, have you ever met Kyouya's onee-san? Fuyumi?"

"Ah, no. But I've heard wonderful things about her. I'm sure she's beautiful, and as talented as Kyouya-kun."

"Well…I was jogging to Tamaki's mansion, then when I stopped at a red light, I saw—"

_Silence._

"Well? What did you see?"

"Can you promise me to not overreact about this?"

"Of course."

_Silence._

"I saw Fuyumi and Tamaki…together in a limo…kind of…making out."

"That's not so—NANI?! That baka? With Kyouya's sister? CHEATING ON YOU??"

Ranka was yelling, not caring that his voice shook the entire apartment complex. "THAT BAKA!! I KNEW HE'D HURT YOU! RICH BASTARD!!" Then through clenched teeth, "He. Is. So. Dead."

"OTOU-SAN!" Haruhi yelled. "You said you won't overreact."

"Haruhi, how can you be so calm? I'M NOT OVERREACTING. THIS IS A NORMAL REACTION FROM A FATHER WHO JUST LEARNED THAT HIS PRECIOUS DAUGHTER WAS JUST CHEATED ON!! I DON'T THINK THERE IS A STANDARD FOR OVERREACTION IN THIS SITUATION!! FACE IT, THE GUY'S A TOTAL JERK!!"

"OTOU-SAN!!" Haruhi broke down into tears. "Please, don't make this any worse than it already is. Please. Don't say that about Tamaki…Please…"

Seeing that he'd gone too far, Ranka bent down to Haruhi and once again embraced her (somewhere along the line, he had let go of her to shake his fists in the air). "You defend him even when he doesn't love you anymore?"

"We don't know how he feels yet. But no matter what, I still love him, and he was a part of my past if not my future. A very important part. And as they say, 'Learn from the past, live the present, and make your own future.' Or something along those lines."

Reluctantly, after a minute, Ranka gave a small smile. "My Haruhi is all grown up now, huh? Well, breakfast is ready, so go change for work now."

Haruhi stood up, smiled at her father, then went off.

Ranka made a face when she was out of sight. "Haruhi is too forgiving. THAT BAKA!!"

* * *

Some time went by smoothly, Haruhi pretending nothing happened, Kaoru not telling anyone (including Hikaru) and her father keeping quiet. Tamaki had sent a message to her, in which he briefly said he was delayed in France, not giving any reasons, just saying so. She was fine pretending that everything was good.

Then, everything just fell apart.

It was a cold, miserable, snowy day. The sun hadn't been out of its hiding place in the clouds all day, and people were all home, off the chilly streets, where the homeless resided without shelter, where the poor begged for their evening meal.

Haruhi was working on one of her cases, discussing details with her client. After about 2 hours conversing with the anxious customer, she put on a heavy coat and other things to keep herself warm and walked out, heading home. Haruhi passed a homeless woman on the street who came over to her, pleading for some money. She bent down to smile at her. She took off her heavy coat, gave it to the woman, then her scarf to drape around the woman's neck. Then, she took off her gloves and hat, and left it at the woman's feet, all the while emptying out the bills from her wallet. "Buy yourself some dinner," she said offering her the money to her. The woman took the money in surprise and smiled gratefully at Haruhi.

Haruhi stood up, shivering in the cold, trying to warm herself. She only had on a wool sweater.

She was thinking about that night's dinner when a sleek, black Rolls Royce pulled up beside her. A man with black hair and rimless spectacles walked out and leaned against the car. "Haruhi." He spoke silently, his voice barely surpassing a whisper. But the tone of this low voice was forceful, as usual. After all, he was an Ootori.

"Kyouya!" she said in surprise.

"Get in." Kyouya said emotionlessly. His voice was firm and commanding, leaving no room for arguments nor protests. However, Haruhi eagerly stepped into the car, thankful for the heat inside. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You are wearing that sweater out there? Aren't you cold?" His voice sounded genuinely concerned.

"Senpai, are you worried?" It wasn't like the Kyouya she knew to worry about other people, nonetheless, her.

"An ordinary question considering the circumstances of the situation," he replied coolly.

"Yes, but I just happened to lose my coat." Haruhi offered a small smile.

"Yeah. Right." She knew that sarcastic tone.

"I gave it away to a woman on the street."

Kyouya frowned for a few moments, his eyes never leaving the road. Then sighed. "As expected. Unpredictable as always."

Haruhi beamed happily. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Nothing, really. Ranka-san asked me to pick you up. He was quite uneasy…" he trailed off suggestively.

"No worries. I just had a—a bad day yesterday, so he was just—just trying to make sure I don't do something stupid…"

* * *

"_Haruhi?"_

"_Otou-san, you don't have to wait for me for dinner, okay? You can start. I might not come home tonight."_

_She walked outside the apartment, shutting the door in Ranka's puzzled face._

_Haruhi went into "Spades" and yelled out to the bartender, all the while waving her hand impatiently in the air. "Yo! Kaji! Hand over a bottle of brandy."_

_She'd passed out at the bar and was taken home to Ranka by Kaji Tanemura, the bartender who was used to Haruhi's ways._

_And that morning, she had a terrible headache…_

* * *

"Speaking of yesterday, did Tamaki come back? It was your 2nd year anniversary, am I correct?" There was a hint of...something in his voice. Or was it just her imagination?

"Glad you remember. Tamaki obviously doesn't."

"Tamaki didn't come back?"

"No, he's still in France," she lied.

"Impossible. You are talking about the business trip to France? That should have ended at the latest three weeks ago. I thought he was in the USA. That's what he told me over the phone."

"Really?" she was truly surprised despite the fact that she'd seen him with Fuyumi only a week before. "Tamaki did not say anything about that. He even sent me a handwritten message saying that the meeting was extended into a series of meetings to establish some contract."

"Let me see it." Haruhi reached into her purse to pull out an envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper from inside then handed it to Kyouya.

After scanning it at a red light, Kyouya said, "This is a Tamaki's handwriting, alright. But what he told you is a completely different story from what he told me." Kyouya scratched his chin. He hated being in situations like this, situations where he didn't have a plan. And that happened a lot when he was around Haruhi. Not that he didn't like being around her….

A minute passed before Kyouya said, "Your stop. Haruhi!" She'd fell asleep, head leaning on the window, dark mane framing her strong face. He just sat there, staring at her, not wanting to ruin the spell of the moment.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew that it was true. He had feelings for her. Kyouya Ootori, CEO of one of the largest enterprises in the world, falling for a commoner who had made her way to the top of the charts in the paralegal field, Haruhi Fujioka. Kyouya Ootori, attracted to his best friend's girlfriend.

_But where is that baka? Telling lies to both of us. He's gonna pay when he gets back…_

He gently shook her. "Haruhi? We're outside your apartment."

She moaned lazily. "Kyouya?"

"Hmm?"

"Kyouya?"

"I'm right here."

Haruhi didn't look quite awake though, as she crawled onto his lap and hugged him around the neck.

Shocked, Kyouya stiffened, then relaxed into the embrace.

They stayed that way for a few seconds, when suddenly, the sound of sobs and the dampening of his shirt startled Kyouya from his thoughts.

"H-Ha-Haruhi?"

"Why Fuyumi? Am I not good enough for him? What is it about her don't I have?"

"Fuyumi nee-san? What are you talking about?"

It was as if she woke up from her dream. One minute, she was in his lap, crying into his shirt; the next, she was back at her own leather seat, hands folded on her own lap, and eyes avoiding his. "Gomenasai. That was—that was just a dream. Forget what I may or may not have said." She took her bag and purse and staggered outside the Rolls Royce and into the ruthless cold.

Then, she felt a sharp sting in her ankle, as if she had sprained it. Trying to hid it, she took a step, then winced at the pain. Hopping, trying to balance her things in her hands, she went for the door.

Strong hands helped her from behind. "What a bother." Kyouya helped her for a few paces, before carrying her in his arms bridal style to the door of her apartment. He then set her down so that she could open the door.

The key turned, and the door opened. "Otou-san!" she called. "I'm home! And Kyouya is als—"

She stopped in her tracks. "Otou-san?"

**

* * *

**

A/N:

In case you haven't noticed, I really like cliff-hangers and suspense and _silence_. I wonder why. Hmm. You're gonna have to wait to see what happens (I have some clue, but not really). And again, I'm sorry for updating so late. But did you like the longer chapter? 


	4. Apprehension

**_(A/N):_** Yeah, sorry, guys. I couldn't update last Tuesday. I honestly did not think it would take so long to learn how to use the new digital camera, pack my suitcase , print out some other fanfics to read on the way there, make some sandwiches for late night snacks—you get the gist. And I haven't been able to go on the internet much lately…When I do get access, my teachers have to give a ton of homework.

So, as I promised, I'll do 3 chapters this week. I'll probably do the other chapters tomorrow (sorry about that), but I never know what might happen, so no guarantees. But this is the 1st make-up chapter.

(And I did not think that I would get as many reviews as I did.)

**CAUTION!** From here on, if you do not like sad stories, do not read. Because I'm not sure if this story is going to have a happy ending. In short, happy ending or not, this is not for people who are very emotional—no offense, guys. But the point is, I'm not sure if you'd like this story after what happens here. Because the whole course of the story is going to change in the next, say 5 chapters? Of course you can read it, but consider yourself warned.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OURAN, OR THE CHARACTERS, EXCEPT FOR A FEW THAT I MADE UP. OURAN WAS CREATED BY BISCO HATORI-SAMA.

* * *

"Otou-san?" Haruhi's face paled, drained of all color, including the dark blush she had when she woke up to find herself in Kyouya's lap. Her hands released her bag, causing it to make a loud thumping sound on the floor. Her lips quivered, in fear, in anger, in frustration. She felt as if she was blazing with fire, her ears turning bright red, her hands shaping into tight fists, and at the same time, dread worked its way up her throat. She refused to let down the treacherous tears that would mark her weak. But who could blame her? What this radiant young attorney had seen was not pleasant. It was very disturbing indeed and would have forced the average person down to their knees, weeping and shaking ferociously, out of control. She was different. But that didn't stop her from having emotions, did it? 

Kyouya, for once, had no idea of what to do. As usua—what? Kyouya? Not knowing what to do? Rare occurrence, it was. So what exactly happened? What happened that almost forced a dominating lawyer down to her knees? What had happened to make her almost cry? What had happened to make Kyouya lose his cool? What had happened that Kyouya had no way of predicting? That Kyouya was so unprepared for?

"Otou-san," Haruhi said again. "OTOU-SAN!"

She ran over to her father, who laid on the floorboards, blood splattered everywhere. His red hair was sprawled everywhere—a mess. Eyes open, he looked—he looked content. The blade of a knife stuck out from his body, near his heart.

"OTOU-SAN! OTOU-SAN! ANSWER ME! Onegai!! Say something! Please!" Haruhi was holding and shaking it violently, hoping for a sign, a response. _Anything would do. A small movement of his fingers. Yes!_ That was all she was asking for.

"Do something! Otou-san! Don't leave me. Please, no!" Haruhi was truly crying now. She could no longer hold it in. Her father, her only family left. He won't leave her all alone, would her? That'd just be too cruel. "Wake up! Otou-san!"

Shaken by Haruhi's cries, Kyouya was unsure of what in the world to do. What do you do in situations like this? What do you do when a girl is crying and her father is dying? Hell, there was no class in school for something like this. He wasn't trained to rescue frantic damsels in distress. But he had to do something. He couldn't just ignore Haruhi in this state and pretend that everything was perfectly fine. No, he couldn't.

Suddenly, he noticed a twitch in the curtains that covered the windows. Blood! It was on the golden-brown curtains, staining it visibly. And there were handprints of blood on the wall nearby. Could it be? Could it be the assassin? Kyouya was just about to find out when—

"KYOUYA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STANDING AROUND HERE FOR? CALL THE POLICE! CALL AN AMBULANCE! CALL 9-1-1! Can't you see how dire of an emergency this is? You are the one who has a doctorate degree you are so proud of!"

Kyouya obeyed her shouted orders in the frenzied circumstances, flipped open his cell, and called his family hospital. "THIS IS KYOUYA OOTORI!" he shouted into the phone; the recipient of the call instantly jumped at the mention of his name. "I NEED AN AMBULANCE IMMEDIATELY! I WANT IT HERE IN LESS THAN A MINUTE. FORGET ALL THE TRAFFIC. I DON'T CARE IF YOU NEED TO KNOCK SOMEONE DOWN, JUST GET HERE IN LESS THAN A MINUTE! AND GET THE OOTORI POLICE!" He shouted Haruhi's address at the alarmed nurse. "Right away, Ohtori-sama."

Kyouya shut off his cell the same moment Haruhi cried out. Her hand had been on Ranka's pulse for some time now and it was beating, alright, if not a bit too slowly. "Otou-san..." she whispered thankfully.

Kyouya, relieved, walked over the curtains. He pulled it aside, revealing a red-headed man, about 5'4", was crouching a bit. His shirt was marked with Ranka's blood. "You," he said in a cold, dangerous voice.

"You did this?" a voice behind him said. "You stabbed my father and put him in this condition?" Haruhi was FURIOUS beyond the description of words. Her words were even more lethal than Kyouya's. _Maybe it's my imagination, but is Kyouya Ootori, the Shadow King, twitching at my words? It must be me. Kyouya is intrepid. Now, for more important matters..._

The man looked around him, as if searching for an escape, then, finding no way, turned around. He broke the window glass, and attempted to flee. Too slow. Kyouya had already predicted this move and had his grip of the man's arms. "You are not going anywhere, you scumbag."

The man turned over, trying to punch Kyouya out. Kyouya ducked and pulled the same move on his opponent. The unidentified man was caught off guard and being not as skilled at Kyouya, caught the blow fully. He was out within a fraction of a second.

By this time, the ambulance and police had arrived, alarms blaring. "Ootori-sama!" There was pounding at the door. "We're coming in!" The door was knocked over, and paramedics rushed in, ready to take Ranka into the ambulance. Haruhi trailed closely behind, looking worriedly at her beloved father. "Come in fast! He is in a very serious state. We have to get him to the hospital without delay. Will we have the pleasure of your company, Ootori-sama?"

"Certainly. Just hand this murderer over to the Ootori Police."

**

* * *

At the Hospital:**

Haruhi and Kyouya have been waiting for over 3 hours in the hospital, awaiting the results of the urgent surgery that had to be done right away on Ranka. There was absolute silent in the room, the other people cautious that the third son of Ootori Yoshio, rightful heir to the Ootori enterprises, was there with them. Haruhi was just concerned and scared.

Kyouya tried to comfort her. He offered warm words (a rare happening). In the end, she was lying on his chest, sobbing softly, sniffing. Cameras threatened to take pictures of this, but not one could be seen after Kyouya mentioned the Ootori Police Force aloud. "I'm going to go get a drink. Do you want anything?"

"Betsuni." She managed a weak smile as he pulled away to get some coffee.

After about 2 minutes, she glanced at her watch. "9:35." Haruhi looked up and saw the doctor heading toward her. "Haruhi Fujioka-san I presume?"

"Yes, doctor! How is my father?"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Like I said, I'll do the other chapters later. I'm really sorry about all this. Yeah. And do you still want to read on? I really do not know the answer to that. So you decide. Is this fanfic still worth reading? (I hate myself for writing this...and even more for what I'm about to write...)

Anyway, I'm writing this at 11 PM here. And I have a report to finish. So, this may be short, but I may update tomorrow. Most likely, I will. After I come home from school and from buying some things at Staples. I have a life...


	5. Aftermath

(**A/N:** I know, I know I've been away for some time. Although I don't really feel like writing, my guilt takes over me. Well, come to think of it, this IS the best setting, a dark Friday in the city, sipping hot chocolate at a café, looking out at the rain, waiting for someone to come…nah, just kidding. I AM in the city, just not at a café looking out at rain. In fact, today was pretty warm, considering the fact that it's February in NYC.I won't be able to post this till later because my laptop does not have one of those disks that allow you to go online. What's it called? No matter—all the same, I won't be able to update after this for a while because I'm moving and everything. Just great, right? Right when I have tons of research papers to do…never mind, it's my luck and you don't need to hear me grumble on about my personal life.)

**

* * *

DISCLAIMER:** OURAN AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO BISCO HATORI, THANK YOU HATORI-SAMA FOR CREATING IT, BUT THIS PLOT IS MINE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

* * *

"Sensei?" Haruhi approached the medical professional with apprehension. "How is my father?" She held her hands behind her, her hands that twisted and turned in anxiety. 

"Haruhi-sama," the normally stoical doctor began, sweating bullets. One glance at her despaired face, then he stared across the room at a sorrowfully weeping woman. "Where to begin…" He shifted his eyes to his polished, black, Gucci loafers and stared so hard that his eyes crossed.

"I have no patience to spare, sensei." Her tone was sharp, leaving no room for nonsense.

He was frightened by the woman standing in front of him, the woman who was brought to the hospital by the current named heir of the Ootori Empire, Ootori Kyouya. What sane person in the hospital wouldn't be afraid?

Taking a deep breath, the doctor continued on, trying to not think of having to find another job. "Your father, Fujioka Ranka-san is in a critical condition and is at great risk. When he was brought to the emergency room, his pulse was barely functioning, as you are well aware of. Well, we cannot be certain when or if he'll be conscious again. Currently, Fujioka-san is in an unstable state. We cannot determine—"

"You are a doctor of the renowned Ootori Corporations and you do not know?" Haruhi's voice was cool, calm, and deadly. "You cannot be certain when you have obtained a master's degree, as required to maintain your job here?" After a blank look from the doctor, she waved her hand urgently and dismissed him. "Worthless. Please leave me alone before I do something I will regret."

Dumbfounded, the doctor stood there, astonished by the woman's words that just insulted him in every possible way pertaining to his 25-year career as a doctor in the Ootori Corporations hospital. "I'm sorry, but I could have sworn I—"

"You heard the lady," said a commanding voice from behind Haruhi.

Eyes widening at the site of Haninozuka Mitsukini and Morinozuka Takashi, two internationally famous martial art fighters, the doctor managed, "Ce-certainly, Mor-morinozuka-dono." He turned and bowed worshipfully to Mori. Attempting to make a joke of it, he said, "I MUST get my ears checked."

"I suggest you do. NOW." One glare from Hunny, and the doctor retreated, excusing himself hurriedly.

Hunny's face softened and looked at Haruhi. "What did he say?"

Trying at a smile, she replied, "Nothi—"

"Nonsense," another voice said, coming toward Mori. The redhead shook his head. "Stop trying to handle things by yourself, Haruhi. We all know you can't act—"

"—compared to the likes of the great Morinozuka Mori and the Haninozuka Hunny," he twin added.

Mori raised an eyebrow. Hunny rolled his eyes.

Recently, Mori and Hunny had starred in a Japanese film, Mori being the protagonist and Hunny being the antagonist. It all started out as a challenge that both the martial artists wanted to take on, to lighten the boredom they had felt with Tamaki away. Nonetheless, the movie turned out surprisingly and unexpectedly successful. After all, what would you expect from the award winning director Hitachiin Hikaru and sought after designer, Hitachiin Kaoru?

Anyway, the movie forked in 16,800,000,000 yen the first week of release. Not that these two were hurting for cash. But the film's only been nominated for best motion picture, best actor, best effects, best director, and others, winning only 7 awards at the Cannes Film Festival.

The hot-tempered twin stepped up to ruffle his calmer self's hair. "You couldn't do better than that?"

"So?" The twin shrugged, holding his hands up. "Sue me. I had, what, a split second to think?"

Following their routine, they looked at each other, shrugged, hands up, tongues out, just like the scene with Ayanokoji (except without the water) in Ouran. Then, smiling mischievously, they turned to Haruhi, who, despite the circumstances, was looking on with a hint of amusement; and said, "Haruhi…" in that unique tone of theirs.

"Hello to you too," she replied.

As soon as their eyes met, Haruhi looked away from one particular twin, wincing at the painful memory of what she discovered the morning he danced with her. She rubbed her stomach, and as if it had a mind of its own, it rumbled. They all looked at it.

Haruhi, embarrassed, finally said, after a few awkward moments of silence, "I guess it has been a while since I last ate…"she paused to try to remember. "Since I last ate this morning," she finished sheepishly. Her stomach answered with a growl. "And I guess I'm a little hungry…" she trailed off, rubbing her belly again.

"You think?" Hikaru answered sarcastically. But then again, he was always so good at masking his emotions.

Kaoru laughed shakily. "In that case, why don't we all get something to eat? How about sushi?"

After a few grumbles of "Yeah", "Sure", "Hai", and shrugs, the 5'10" Ootori heir walked out of a room, by them said, "I'll have to take care of some stuff here, so you go ahead." He continued his nonchalant walk into the elevator and disappeared as the doors closed.

They headed out to "Spades," the dining restaurant famous for its exceptional sushi. When Haruhi resisted, Mori picked her up and carried her, startling bystanders, until she agreed to walk by herself.

Even as they were walking, she drifted into her own world. While the twins were ogling at commoner sights and Honey was pointing at things from Mori's shoulders, Haruhi looked up at the sky and recalled the evening after convincing Tamaki to stay in Japan. She thought of the fireworks and the happiness of being so lucky to have met all the hosts. She wanted to smile, and yet couldn't, because the one whose warmth she'd felt that night, his arms around her, was not there with her. A pang of sadness rushed over her and she clamped her hand over her mouth to prevent the sob that was caught in her throat.

Haruhi's left hand brushed over a certain finger on her right hand. The diamond glittered so beautifully in the lights of the city over her. She looked up at the stars, as she did as a child, with the same vulnerability, the same false hope.

A certain twin glanced her way, noticed her touch on her diamond, and looked away painfully. _When would fortune ever smile upon her?_ he thought.

* * *

Kyouya slammed his fist down on the desk, making the doctors and some of the Ootori Police who were gathered for an emergency meeting jump a mile high. He bent down a bit, to emphasize his displeasure, and said, with his cool voice, "What do you mean there is no way?" 

"Technical advances so far are not developed to handle this type of surgical procedure. In addition to that, the United States is the only country that is even considering the possibility of success in this protocol enough to raise funds to provide for research and analysis—"

"Tell me something I do not know," Kyouya interrupted, patience wearing off.

"I do not believe that is possible, sir," replied a young member of the Ootori Police who had a reputation of speaking her mind.

"Do not attempt to flatter me, Fujiwaka san."

"I'm simply stating the facts, Ootori sama." She pushed her rectangular rimmed glasses up her nose. "All our information comes from the sources that the Ootori Corporations provide. Hence, you have all access to those sources and perhaps more."

"Incorrect. I cannot prevent you from obtaining more information outside of this building. The sky's the limit."

Fujiwaka Hazuki flipped her dark mane and flipped through several pages in her book. "According to a particular source, only a handful of people in the world know the exact procedure. One American citizen, Greg Sniper, is knowledgeable of all that pertains to this matter. His location is currently at 5646 Casino Ave. Las Vegas, Nevada 89147. Of course, this is in the USA."

"It's impossible to get Sniper to perform the operation in time." Kyouya scratched his chin for a moment. "Murakami, immediately contact Mr. Sniper by all means possible. Get him to give us the accurate procedure for Fujioka san."

Hazuki watched as Kyouya gave orders in his low-tempered mode. _Why work so hard for a normal patient? I know the situation is critical, but this is not the usual him…_

After a while, after all was set up for the talk via satellite, Kyouya sat himself down in the leather seat.

The screen flicked, then a man in his 30s appeared, in a worn out shirt. He had dark hair, and dark brown eyes. He looked worn out and had a slight growth of a beard. A blond handed Kyouya his profile.

**

* * *

Name: Greg Alex Sniper**

**Birth Date: November 23, 1974**

**Occupation: Ex-Marine **

**Description: Dark brown hair, dark brown eyes **

**Discovery: Important formula for surgical purposes **

**When: During his 13 year serve in the US Marine Corps**

* * *

"Mr. Sniper, can you hear me?" Kyouya spoke into the microphone. His English was only a bit accented, if you paid really close attention. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to tell he'd only step foot inside the US 2 times. 

"Yes." His voice was deep.

"This is Kyouya Ootori, from Japan."

"I'm well aware of that. Get to the point. What do you want?"

"Can you give me the procedure you developed for carbon-monoxide surgery you developed while in the US Marine Corps?"

"Once a Marine, always a Marine. If you plan on using it for nuclear bombing or terror acts, I will not hand it over."

"I come in peace. I need that procedure to perform a surgery on a desperate man who has just had a seizure and on top of that, a loss of blood and a fractured skull."

"Do you have any proof?"

Kyouya nodded to Daisuki Kirii who sent Sniper an hour long surveillance of Fujioka Ranka. "Is that enough?"

Sniper studied the video carefully and gave in. "It follows the same formula as Zinc-Fluoride except for one thing -carbon."

* * *

"Eat up!" Kaoru urged. Haruhi stared at her Narezushi without a word. She picked up her chopsticks after a few seconds and attempted to pick it up, but failed. Kaoru sighed at her shaky hands. "I'll feed you." 

"Daijoubu." This time, Haruhi picked it up and successfully stuffed it in her mouth. She swallowed without chewing.

* * *

A/N: I'm too lazy to continue. Actually, not too lazy, but too sleepy, too sad, and too tired. It's 4 in the morning. Although I have winter recess, I feel like I'm in hell. I'd rather go to school. I know that sounds sick, but at least I won't have to think about the Marines as much…that reminds me. Oh crap, I need another box of tissues. 

Narezushi- old form of sushi

(PS- I'm looking for votes to continue or not. I really don't know if I should or should not discontinue this fanfic...)


	6. Notions

**Memories in the Rain**

Chapter 5—Notions

_By ShinigamiXOXO, beta'd by Anti-Logic_

Wordlessly, she slipped onto the pale, lavender hospital chair. Stressed from the continuous effort to put on a smile so that the otherswould not worry for her, she now allowed herself to relieve her jaw muscles of their tension and closed her eyes…Finally, they were gone, after much repetitive arguing. Well, that is, all except Kyouya. And Tamaki. Who knew what they were up to.

She felt like an old woman now, reminiscing over her past years. Pressing her thumb and index finger together against the bridge of her nose, she rested her head on her other hand, supported by her much worn out knee.

_He'd brought her to a beautiful lake, surrounded by the land that held so much life –grass, flowers, and the little creatures that could not be seen by the naked eye. And then there were the sakura trees, towering over the sparkling water._

_The air smelled of the petals of the pink flowers overhead that fell ever so gently onto the surface of the water, generating small, barely noticeable ripples on the glassy green. It was the perfect weather – not too cold, yet not that warm either. The rain the night before had left an unmistakable smell of morning dew, though it was no longer morning. It was not an unpleasant smell but rather a soothing one. The sun could not be missed, so high in the sky, shining upon all as if it were all inferior to it. In a way, this could be held true._

_His smile as she quietly observed a little fish swim by, kneeling down on the grass by the edge of the lake, only widened when she asked, "Why did you bring me here?" Blunt as usual._

She remembered his eyes that day. Their normal bright, amethyst hue had turned soft, tender with kindness…no, it _must _have been love. But then, there was that glint of emotion she'd never been able to identify but had been able to disregard. Perhaps it was anxiety, anxiety about the question he was about to ask. The question that perhaps had the potency to change his life…

He turned and looked away from her. It seemed like he could see into the blue-green waters.

_No, that's an underestimate_, she thought. It had seemed as if he was looking into the future, into the past, into something that was not meant to be seen.

It was a long minute before he finally replied; the longest, most tranquil minute that he'd ever given her in all the time she'd met him. His voice – it was deep and determined. His words were poetic, majestic even.

But for some reason, she could not recall his words, those words that she treasured so much. They'd meant so much to her…until now. All she could remember were the last fourwords of that splendid, curt and meaningful speech that he spoke slowly, perhaps to treasure the moment, perhaps hesitantly, before he slipped his family heirloom onto her finger.

She looked at it now, the diamond framed by the precious, brilliantly cut stones whose worth was over ten times that of her whole life's expenses alone. The diamond…_how can I even begin to express the cost?_

But right now, under the faint flow of the moonlight shimmering in from the cool night outside, that platinum ring with all its glorious jewels was duller than the edge of an overused knife.

She'd never thought about the cost before, only of the meaning behind such a ring. And yet now it was all she could think about.

She grazed the diamond with the tips of her fingers. The design was so complicated**;** the stones seemed too big. The size seemed to reflect the lifestyle of the cold, stoic rich – over-resourceful yet unfulfilling. Funny how she could only gasp with surprise as he presented the ring to her that fateful day, letting her head drop limply an inch before her hands braced her body, palms pressing against the non-resilient ground; and now, she could not even recall what he said nor reflect what she saw in the ring on her finger that had made her so flaccid then.

She was so lost in thought she did not hear the refined footsteps that obviously required some time to perfect head in her direction. She was no longer on the lavender chair but standing by the clear glass windows, one hand placed limply against her stomach, the other still touching the ring on her finger…as if measuring the perfect symmetrical angels, the extravagant beauty of the polished surfaces, as if drowning in the excessiveness of everything in the ring that was supposed to represent the unbreakable bond of two people in love.

"Haruhi."

_The moment of silence was suffocating. It seemed as though everything stilled; perhaps the birds were still chirping their cheerful midday song, but she could not hear it. His eyes did not hold any uncertainty, only confidence. His smile was wide, bottom lip catching a small ray of the sun, shining at an edge. His posture, his eyes, his hands, his very being told her he'd already known her answer before he'd even asked the question._

_He's known for an eternity_, she thought grimly.

_But she was frozen, shivering slightly despite the humidity of the urban atmosphere. Then, a cool wind sped past, sweeping her short hair over her ears and brushing his on his face. It wasn't graceful as it was in the movies, but rather an inelegant play of hair in the air. But she didn't notice that nor anything else__**,**__ in fact. She was only staring blankly at the grass._

"Haruhi."

_Her name rolled off his tongue, as if he'd practiced in front of a mirror for some time or had been taught how to say it. Although his voice was low and deep, and barely above a whisper, it was deafening to her ears. _

"_I—" She couldn't speak. Something caught at her throat. She could not utter a sound. Looking up at his expectant eyes, she smiled softly and got up slowly, brushing non-existent dirt off her knees. She was glad she'd worn shorts instead of a skirt like he'd urged her to._

_He was about 15 feet away from her, but she took her time getting to him. At first her knees trembled, but she convinced herself it was because she was kneeling for too long. _

_Two minutes is a lot of time, is it not?_

She'd overlooked the way her heart thumped wildly against her ribcage, the way her hands hung motionlessly by her sides despite her prompt commands, disregarded the blood that pounded into her ears, the way her muscles tensed, in anticipation, perhaps in unease.

She reached him finally, although it seemed like forever before she did. Slipping her arms around his neck to pull herself closer to his chest, she kissed him, like always. It was merely a typical kiss from her to him – a routine that had been in practice for years now. But this time, it was in agreement, in agreement to spend the rest of her life in a "blessed union" with him.

That's why my knees are shaking_, she thought._

"Haru—"

"Tell me, Kyouya," she said, seemingly more knowledgeable of the present. All the time she'd been recollecting her thoughts, she'd not moved an inch, staring lustfully out into the moon and stars.

"Is human greed insatiable?"

She only turned to face him now, with eyes so sad, trusting. He met her brown eyes with his icy, grey ones and was unable to look away. The ageless look on her face mesmerized him, like nothing ever had and perhaps never would. He'd never forget – the way her lips posed themselves, halting the words that desired so much to be spoken, the way her fingers clutched the priceless Suou family heirloom, gripping it so tightly as if for dear life, for the sake of sanity.

_I've never seen her like this,_ he thought, reaching into his white right coat pocket for a pen – a habit he'd developed over time, due to the fact that he always held on to his ledger idly with his left – only to find it empty.

_I left it in the meeting room_, he realized. Reaching for his notebook anyway, he came to an awareness that his ledger too was not there. It'd became such a regular routine that it'd become weightless in his hand; unconsciously, he'd pick it up each day, to record down anything at all – useful or not he could not tell but who knew when he'd need it someday in the future. The unknown, treacherous future he took so much precaution to get into.

_She's not the only one out of character._

It'd been a few seconds as she watched his uncharacteristic search for some item in his pocket. Her face showed the slightest bit of curiosity, maybe even concern. "Kyouya-senpai?"

He stopped. His heart stilled for a moment, two, while he tried to decipher what she'd just asked under the intensity of her gaze. Such a question – what's the cause?

"Yes." He was curt, as if if he said any more, something ominous would occur. Something menacing to interrupt this beautiful sight of her.

His hands stopped fumbling for the pen and instead hung from his sides rather gracefully. But then again, this was the Shadow King, the "cool" type – what couldn't this man do?

_He can never please his father._ Her thoughts wandered off involuntarily; she could not stop relating to that dream…

"Why?"

Now, he had to provide a suitable explanation. What was it though? He had not thought before he spoke, an action that contrasted the professional, business façade he'd normally put on. Everything he planned seemed to go wrong around her. Not necessarily in a bad way…

"Instinct. Human instinct will urge them to get what they can never have."

She slowly turned away so that he was facing the back of her head.

"I see."

The moment of silence was not awkward, but rather comforting. A silence between two very educated people, thinking the same thoughts – contemplating what the other had said.

It was broken by her question, "How is my—"

* * *

A tall brunette suddenly walked, or rather, rushed into the dim room, light overhead unlit, the force of her opening the doors pushing the door into the wall. Her long hair swayed with her every move; her attire included a badge—"OP" –and consisted of all black leather, except for the thin, white cotton shirt that showed off her curves.

Haruhi turned around abruptly.

"Ootori-sama." Although low, her voice could be heard from across the room and it showed a sense of independence, strength, and command.

Her sharp, almond eyes were enhanced with her rectangular glasses which only made them look stronger, more appealing. The way she walked only gave a sense of her dignity and pride as a woman commander.

Yet when she caught sight of Haruhi, she stopped in her tracks to reach the dark haired man. Her expression was guarded, as if hiding something that was not to be known until the end of the world. Her eyes shifted from Kyouya to her, inspecting her. In an instant, she was finished, conveying utter disapproval.

"Sniper?"

"Yes," the brunette said carefully, not about to give a clue to her about the topic of discussion.

"Go on."

She hesitated. "But—"

"She's the daughter of our patient."

She still regarded Haruhi with an unpleasant frown.

"Sniper has faxed us the exact procedure."

"Why are you still standing here?"

"The only problem is that although he has the exact procedure, as you already know, allergic reactions cannot always be determined. There is an undeniable risk of the surgery not being successful."

"As far as the records go, Ranka-san has never suffered from an allergic reaction…then again, this process is very sensitive and may provoke some unknown intolerance for a particular substance."

She caught sight of the shorter brunette's engagement ring – nobody in the business world did not know about the famed Suou treasure. _So this is the one who will marry that idiotic blonde heir to the Suou fortune. _

If rumor be true, she was quite accomplished herself, establishing some of the finest law firms in Japan. _Not bad for a commoner. Not bad…_

She returned her attention to the Ootori successor. "We'll need a close relative to sign some papers…"

She looked at the other brunette's face. Worry and anxiety clouded in the pools of her eyes that stayed glued to the taller woman. "How much of a chance is there that he'll wake up?"

Hazuki calculated the possibilities in her mind until she finally said, "The poison used in the knife has not been able to be countered in any way until recently when a US Marine discovered a formula to help his dying comrade. By chance, the wounded recovered quickly, supposedly because he was young and healthy.

"Each body's anatomy differs slightly from another. That man was merely lucky; by chance, he did not have a severe allergic reaction to the ingredients in the formula that might have killed him simultaneously. We cannot simply wish for it to just so happen that your father is as lucky. We need more than records, more than facts. We need experience.

"Yet at the same time, we cannot call an entire halt to the surgery. The chance of him living without it is at absolutely 0 percent. The surgery gives us an approximate 6 percent chance of success."

Her brief explanation caused a moment of silence in the already deserted, dark room.

A small breeze caught Haruhi's short hair and caressed her cheek. _Is there any other choice?_

"Show me the way."

* * *

Tall led short into the empty meeting room. Fresh cups of coffee had been placed at the head of the long, rectangular table. It'd been set for three yet only two seats were taken.

* * *

Ootori Kyouya strolled down the maze, hands in his coat pocket, heading for the office at the end of the hall. Inside, the redheaded man was waiting, waiting with 6 members of the Ootori Police.

"Anything?"

"He refuses to talk," the leader said, handing him the redhead's profile.

**Name:** Nagashi Kira

**DOB:** 2/29/1981

**Profile:** Red hair, brown eyes

**Blood type:** O

**Related:** Nagashi Mamoru (brother), Nagashi Inoue (wife), Nagashi Gin (son)

**Occupation:** owner of bar _Spades_

Kyouya took a seat in the small office on a plush, oversized, wheeled chair. His position was relaxed, yet threateningly dangerous…his arms were folded at his chest, legs slightly spread out, eyes penetrating. There was dour smile playing at his lips, the only sign of humanity in his still figure…

"Who ordered you to do this?"

"Nobody did. I felt like getting rid of him."

"With this Chinese drug?" He held up a bottle. "Strange. I thought this would be worth more than 20 times your average yearly salary."

Unmerciful eyes coerced for a response. He turned his head, refusing to meet the rich man's hard stare. The said man stood up slowly, back a bit slouched but not at all awkward.

"How I acquired it, you never need to know nor to ever take an interest in."

"True, I don't care how you got it. But who you were trying to kill? That's what I do care about."

"For what? You're a rich bastard who wants nothing but more money; he's a commoner who works at a bar."

_Because of _her, a voice inside him said.

_Shut up_, shouted another.

"Who is your superior?"

"I'm my own boss."

Kyouya got up and headed for the door. "Do with him as you like." He locked the door behind him and with the impact of the dead bolt being put on, he was left to his thoughts of what the redhead said.

A/N: I'm very sorry for the four months without update but here it is! I hope it was worth the wait and let's just say that if it turns out awesome, I owe it all to Scribble. I looked back at the unedited version and I almost fainted with horror…Really, thanks.


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